Geoffrey Hayes with Zippy, George and Bungle- the stars of Rainbow.
Geoffrey Hayes with Zippy, George and Bungle- the stars of Rainbow.
Geoffrey Hayes, who hosted long-running children's programme Rainbow, has died aged 76.
The actor, who was famed for presenting the show from 1973 to 1992, which screened in New Zealand, died in hospital from pneumonia with his wife and son by his side.
The news was confirmed by his manager today and prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media from fans paying tribute to the 'childhood legend' with many writing simply, 'thank you.'
Speaking shortly after his 76th birthday earlier this year, the actor revealed he was still 'humbled' to be recognised by Rainbow fans, adding: 'We loved doing it; I certainly did. Twenty years of happiness, it really was.'
Upon hearing the news of his death, one fan tweeted: 'Goodbye to yet another part of our childhood,' while another added simply: 'Thank you for painting the whole world with a rainbow.'
The outpouring of grief continued as another fan added: 'Hope he knew how important he was in the childhood of many people. A ray of light for an otherwise unhappy child.'
Geoffrey Hayes, pictured here with Zippy from Rainbow, passed away at the age of 76.
Hayes appeared alongside cuddly puppets Zippy, George and Bungle in more than 1000 episodes of Rainbow from 1974 until 1992, having taken over from original host David Cook.
He played the long-suffering adult character, guardian and upholder of the peace in the hallucinogenic Rainbow house on the show, which aired several nights a week to children across the UK.
In 2002, Hayes, who struggled to find work after Rainbow was cancelled, said the secret to the programme's enduring popularity was that it was full of 'magic, innocence and imagination'.
He said: 'Practically all the time people come up to me and it really breaks me up because they thank me for being part of their childhood.
'It makes me want to cry sometimes.'
In a 2015 interview, Hayes said he would 'always be grateful' for his role on Rainbow.
Hayes told the Express in 2015 he got the role simply by 'being in the right place at the right time.'
He added: 'It sounded interesting, so I knocked on his door and got an audition. I was a jobbing actor with no experience of kids' TV but, thankfully, I got the job.'
The star also revealed he 'loved working on Rainbow and couldn't wait to get into the studio.'
He told the Express: 'Other actors thought me mad because I never minded coming in on days off to rehearse. Classed as a pre-school programme, it meant my wages were at the lower end of the pay scale.
'I never earned vast amounts, but at least it was a regular income for 20 years, even if it didn't make me a millionaire.'
After the show ended Hayes went on to work as a taxi driver and worked two nights a week shelf-stacking in his local Sainsbury's.
Hayes died in hospital from pneumonia with his wife Sarah and son Tom by his side, his manager Phil Dale said.
Dale added: 'The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the years as it always gave Geoffrey so much pleasure to know that he and his Rainbow team had given so much fun to TV and theatre audiences over the years.'
Fans of Hayes and Rainbow who shared tributes on Twitter, thanking him for his presence in their younger years, include radio broadcaster Tony Shepherd who tweeted: 'Goodbye to yet another part of our childhood.'
After the long-running series ended, Hayes enjoyed a stint in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk alongside EastEnders star Shane Richie.
He also worked a taxi driver and in 2005 featured in Peter Kay's Comic Relief version of Is This the Way to Amarillo.
Speaking about stacking shelves in Sainsbury's, Hayes told The Express: 'I didn't do it for the money – it was just that I'd been out of work for five months and was hanging around the house becoming a pain.'
Speaking after his 76th birthday earlier this year, the actor told What's On Tv magazine that he was still recognised for Rainbow.
He said 'It's so humbling, even now, all these years later somebody occasionally stops me in the street or the supermarket and talks about Rainbow. We loved doing it; I certainly did. Twenty years of happiness, it really was.'
